Archive for May, 2011

These are a few of the books I have been reading lately. I have a few more I have loved this spring that I hope to share with you soon. Enjoy these reviews!

To Train Up a Child by Micheal and Debbie Pearl

I read this book this past winter, and it is not your run-of-the-mill parenting book. This book has changed my life forever, and will change my children’s lives forever. If there is one book that parents should read, I think it should be this book. Here is a short description of the book from amazon:

“Three thousand years ago, a wise man said, “Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Good training is not crisis management; it is what you do before the need of discipline arises. Most parenting is accidental rather than deliberate. Imagine building a house that way. We don’t need to reinvent training. There are child training principles and methods that have worked from antiquity. To neglect deliberate training is to shove your child into a sea of choices and passions without a boat of compass.

This book is not about discipline, nor problem children. The emphasis is on the training of a child before the need to discipline arises. It is apparent that, though they expect obedience, most parents never attempt to train their child to obey. They wait until the behavior becomes unbearable and then explode. With proper training, discipline can be reduced to 5% of what many now practice. As you come to understand the difference between training and discipline, you will have a renewed vision for your family, no more raised voices, no contention, no bad attitudes, fewer spankings, a cheerful atmosphere in the home, and total obedience from your children.” (Italics mine)

If my own opinion of this book hasn’t convinced you to read it for yourself, here are a few reviews from others.

I am so thankful to be enjoying my precious children instead of merely trying to “keep up” with my life. — No Greater Joy, May/June 2000, p.4.”

(No Greater Joy is a 3 book series addressing questions from those who have read To Train Up A Child – these are also very helpful.)

The information in this book can transform family life, impact a family’s decision making for the future, and most importantly, help create in our children the desire to choose to follow the Lord as they grow up. This book has renewed my mind with it’s teaching of scripture, and unveiled my eyes to the kind of family life I would never even dream could be ours.

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

So many parenting and family books I have read have actually helped me very little. Perhaps you can relate to that thought. So many are filled with philosophy, ideology, and ornamental stories about the author’s children. There may be a three-point lesson, all starting with the letter “B” to help us remember the points, none of which are new or challenging at all. THIS BOOK IS NOT LIKE THOSE BOOKS.

Voddie Baucham has a message for today’s generation of Christian parents that is transformational on a family level, a church level, and a generational level. In the book, families are deeply challenged to take their God-given responsibility to disciple their children seriously, and he gives practical examples on how to do just that.

“More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88 percent of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done. Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, antifamily society.” (from the back cover of the book – every word of it true!)

Some further reviews of this book:

“Voddie Baucham has written an insightful and convicting book challenging parents to prioritize the spiritual development of their children. Only read this book if the salvation and sanctification of your children is of the utmost importance to you.”—Tony Evans, Co-founder and Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

“Every Christian parent ought to read Family Driven Faith. I’ve never encountered a book on family life that compressed so much biblical teaching, provocative thinking, sound theology, and practical help in one volume.”—Donald S. Whitney

I have ordered my homeschool curriculum for Jeremiah’s 2nd grade! It took lots of thought and reading to decide what to do, to weigh the options between kinds of curriculums with various focuses, but I finally decided. It should arrive in the mail any day, and I will look forward to sharing it with ya’ll.

Muddy farm boys!!

Jeremiah and I making an edible arrangement!

The finished product for Nini...

Jeremiah and his farm buddies surprised us one day when we found them completely covered in mud! They were having so much fun, and though it was a mess to clean up, we enjoyed seeing them fully loving farm life. These are some true farm boys!

We were in Oklahoma over Mother’s Day and we made my mom a fun gift – an edible arrangement! It was a fun activity, and Nini loved it!

She loved it!! Happy Mother's Day!

I’m going to just follow this short post with a few recent photos from spring on the farm.